MANILA, Philippines – The affirmation of fees hearings on the Worldwide Prison Court docket (ICC) kicked off Monday, February 23, setting the stage for 4 days of high-stakes arguments over former President Rodrigo Duterte’s lethal drug struggle.
The group of prosecutors, victims’ representatives, and the protection are laying out their circumstances aiming to show — or problem — whether or not Duterte’s actions warrant trial. After this pre-trial listening to, the ICC judges might resolve whether or not there may be sufficient proof to maneuver ahead to a full trial, a course of that might outline Duterte’s legacy and sign accountability.
The previous few days have been tense, with prosecutors presenting the systematic anti-illegal drug marketing campaign that led to the hundreds of deaths underneath Duterte, whereas victims’ representatives described the human toll in stark phrases.
The protection group, thus far, has painted a portrait of a president who was robust, outspoken, and misunderstood, however whose actions, they argued, had been throughout the regulation.
Rappler has highlighted a few of the most putting statements from the periods. This shall be up to date because the affirmation of fees progresses and ends on Friday, February 27.
DAY 1 – FEBRUARY 23, 2026
Learn the highlights from Day 1 right here.
“Mr. Duterte’s legal plan and his intent had been no secret. He not solely shared them along with his co-perpetrators and members of the [Davao Death Squad], but in addition made them abundantly clear to most people within the quite a few public statements that he made again and again.
“His intent and information are proven by the a number of statements that he made all through his mayoral and presidential tenure promising to cut back crimes by killing alleged criminals, selling the widespread plan, and urging the police and even members of the general public to kill alleged criminals.”
Deputy ICC prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang on how Duterte’s publich speeches display his intent and information in selling drug struggle killings
“The arrest and detention of Mr. Duterte has not stopped impunity within the Philippines. The virus of impunity that he unfold everywhere in the nation has turn into a most cancers that has metastasized, infecting hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. Mr. Duterte has created clones of himself. He transformed hundreds of thousands of peace-loving residents into bloodthirsty disciples who’ve turn into converts to the idea that violence and killings are legitimate options to societal issues.
“The killings masterminded by Mr. Duterte proceed to have penalties for the victims, even to this present day, due to his clones. These mini-Dutertes harass, threaten, or commit outright violence in opposition to the victims and their households.”
Lawyer Joel Butuyan, ICC-appointed widespread authorized consultant for victims, on the tradition of impunity within the Philippines and the persevering with threats confronted by households of drug struggle victims
“If the fees should not confirmed on this case, one of many gravest issues of the victims is that Mr. Duterte will return to the Philippines as a conquering hero. He’ll resume preaching his gospel of impunity. In reality, if Mr. Duterte might threaten to slap the judges of this courtroom — which he did whereas he was president — this chamber ought to think about the sort of terror-filled threats and the violent actions that may simply be used in opposition to the victims if the suspect walks free from this courtroom.”
Lawyer Joel Butuyan, ICC-appointed widespread authorized consultant for victims, on the potential dangers if Duterte is just not tried in courtroom and punished
“Rodrigo Duterte was, and can at all times stay, a novel phenomenon. His type of statesmanship was novel and unpalatable to many. His expletives and hyperbole grated, whereas his honesty and wild recognition irritated. He spoke brazenly from the center, sincerely and honestly. And what a distinction between him and his successor in Malacañang. For [Duterte], his phrase was his phrase, and the folks knew it. For President Bongbong, his was for the wind and the folks won’t neglect it.”
Lead protection counsel Nicholas Kaufman on Duterte’s type of management and his distinction with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“[Duterte]’s rhetoric was calculated to arouse concern and obedience, to instill concern of their hearts, and to inculcate a respect for the regulation of their minds. Nothing extra, nothing much less. That was his intent, and it was not legal.”
Lead protection counsel Nicholas Kaufman on Duterte’s use of rhetoric to implement regulation and order
“The fact is that Mr. Duterte’s message was clear, and it was understood by the perpetrators, and it was adopted. That message was: commit homicide at my route, and I’ll defend you, I’ll pay you, I’ll promote you. That’s what occurred.
“And I’ll say this as effectively, your Honors, for functions of this affirmation listening to, disregard each speech ever made by Mr. Duterte. Throw all of them out. There’s nonetheless ample proof of considerable grounds primarily based on the opposite proof which we’ve placed on our record of proof. And the proof as a complete, once you weigh it collectively, will present that what [Nicholas Kaufman] stated is just not right, that Mr. Duterte meant for his subordinates to comply with the regulation and that he was and that his speeches had been merely bluster.”
Senior trial lawyer Julian Nicholls of the ICC prosecution group, on why proof past his public speeches demonstrates intent to commit killings
DAY 2 – FEBRUARY 24, 2026
Learn the highlights from Day 2 right here.
“Mr. Duterte goes on to touch upon extrajudicial killings. And as he does so, your Honors will word the nonchalant, informal method during which he attracts his finger throughout his throat…. And on this opulent, gilded presentation room, the officers chortle together with their president whereas he boasts about his expertise in extrajudicial killing. Outdoors, on the streets of the Philippines, the our bodies pile up.”
Lawyer Edward Jeremy of the ICC prosecution group, on the conduct of Duterte throughout public speeches that had been proven within the affirmation of fees listening to
“And within the face of this public outcry, Mr. Duterte was compelled to briefly withdraw police from drug operations…. And this led to a discount within the frequency of killings. In asserting this short-term withdrawal, Mr. Duterte sarcastically acknowledged that he hoped that this may fulfill ‘bleeding hearts and the media.’ And, on this means, he publicly communicated that this was not a real effort to forestall crime, however reasonably a short lived try and placate public criticism. And fewer than two months later, Mr. Duterte determined to as soon as once more scale up operations.”
Lawyer Edward Jeremy of the ICC prosecution group, on Duterte’s response following the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos
“From all the things you might have heard over the previous two days, there may be little doubt about Mr. Duterte’s information and intent. He meant that the crimes could be dedicated and he was conscious that they might be dedicated because of implementing the widespread plan…. Mr. Duterte knew as a result of he himself established the DDS to kill folks. He repeatedly broadcast his intention to implement the widespread plan nationally if elected president. He made it clear that this may contain killing.
“As soon as he was president, he moved his trusted co-perpetrators from Davao into key nationwide positions. And because the variety of killings rose, Mr. Duterte endured with the widespread plan. He praised the 32 killings in a one-time big-time operation in Bulacan. He publicly named so-called high-value targets. He promised to guard police and as your Honours have heard Mr. Duterte has admitted to lots of this stuff.”
Lawyer Robynne Croft of the ICC prosecution group, on the deliberate orchestration of drug struggle killings and the position of the Davao Dying Squad and nationwide officers in executing the widespread plan
“We converse for households who can’t be right here, moms who buried their sons, youngsters who misplaced their mother and father, the spouses who now increase households alone, and communities which have lived for years underneath concern and silence and that proceed to bear the implications of violence that swept by means of their neighborhoods like a storm. These victims seem in the present day earlier than you not as mere statistics or distant figures or pictures in experiences…however as human beings whose rights underneath the Rome Statute have been violated in essentially the most profound methods.”
Paolina Massida, principal counsel of the Workplace of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), on what the households of drug struggle victims needed to go — and are going — by means of
“The taking pictures might occur instantly, behind closed doorways or on the street, or the victims could be taken away by the gunmen, just for photographs to be heard minutes later and the physique to be found by native residents. At instances, our bodies had been dumped elsewhere, generally with palms tied or heads wrapped in plastic. Relations sometimes discovered them after being alerted by policemen or by the neighbors.”
Paolina Massida, OPCV principal counsel, on the sample of killings throughout Duterte’s drug struggle
“In different circumstances, victims tried to hunt justice. They went to the police, to native officers, to authorities companies. They filed experiences, they requested for investigation, they begged for solutions. Their pleas had been ignored, their complaints had been dismissed, their testimonies had been doubted. In some circumstances, the very folks they approached for assist had been the identical ones concerned within the violence. They had been left with no path ahead. No establishment was keen to listen to them, no authority was keen to guard them, no system was keen to acknowledge what was taking place.”
Paolina Massida, OPCV principal counsel, on the systemic failure within the Philippines to offer justice or safety for drug struggle victims
“The victims have waited years for this second. They’ve been silenced, stigmatized, and denied justice in their very own nation. Right this moment, they stand earlier than you with the hope that justice lengthy denied might lastly be inside attain. This [ICC] is their final refuge. And in the present day, on their behalf, we ask this chamber to affirm that their struggling issues, that their rights matter, and that the rule of regulation extends even to essentially the most highly effective by confirming all the fees in opposition to Mr. Duterte and committing him to trial.”
Paolina Massida, OPCV principal counsel, on the enchantment of victims for accountability
“Mr. Duterte’s drug struggle marketing campaign focused the very humanity of the victims, of their households, and of their communities. In Filipino, the oblique victims expressed this in a single sentence: ‘Inalisan kami ng dangal.’ We had been stripped of our dignity.”
Lawyer Gilbert Andres, ICC-appointed widespread authorized consultant for victims, on their dehumanization and concentrating on throughout Duterte’s drug struggle
– Rappler.com
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